Furnace-grate



MAXIMILIAN H. MOSKOVITS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

FURNACE-CREATE.

SPEGIIF'IGA'ITION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 399,688, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed June 21, 1888. $erial No. 277,788. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAXIMILIAN II. Mosko VITs, of Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Grates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to .furnaces having antomatic feeding and cleaning devices; and it may be said to consist in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, which illustrate the manner of carrying out my invention, Figure 1 is a broken sectional side elevation of my improved furnace-grate as applied to a steamboiler furnace with horizontal boiler. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. of same without doors beneath the grate-bars. Fig. 3 is a detail view of bearing ball or roller used in making up the invention. Fig. 4c is a detail plan view of the under side of a grate-bar that is used in the invention. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail View, in perspective, of the upper end of a grate-bar, the section being taken on liney y, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a hand-lever and connections for varying the inclination of the grate-bars. Fig. '7 is a detail view of a multiform crank-shaft used for communicating motion to the grate-bars, and Fig. 8 is a face view of a bearing-bar which supports the ends of the grate-bars.

I The furnace-front maybe of the usual form, with the exception of'ordinary feeding and ash-pit doors, which are entirely abandoned, that part of the ordinary furnace-front below the lower boiler-line being entirely removed, preferably, so that the bottom of the gratebars and all of interior of furnace below the grates are perfectly exposed to view from a position in front of the boiler. If so desired, however, I may close the front of the furnace below the grate-bars and above the floor-line 2' 2 by means of doors B of any ordinaryform.

Each side of the furnace below the gratebars consists of a heavy solid cast-iron frameplate, A, extending from the front to about the inner ends of the grate-bars, the front ends of which support the cast-iron front carrying the feed-hopper C. These side frames are bound together by means of bearing-bars E, which extend across from one to the other and upon which the grate-bars D are mounted.

to be withdrawn from under the boilerwhenever occasion may require.

The pit A is provided withasuitable cover, (Z, which may be quickly removed whenever required, in such instances as drawing the fire or cleaning out ashes.

In front of the boiler, and above the upper ends of grate-bars D, a large iron hopper, C, is attached to the cast-iron front, extending across the front, its length being equal to the width of the grate-surface and its capacity varying accordingly. The bottom of thehopper 0 is formed by the upper ends of gratebars D, which extend outwardly a sufficient distance for such purpose.

The grate-bars D are inclined at about an angle of thirty-four degrees from the horizontal, corresponding to the kind of fuel in use, and are made with short longitudinal bearing-ribs e, projecting from the under side of their lower ends, which rest within an en circling groove, f, formed on the outside of bearing-balls F. Said balls are located in elongated ball-sockets it, formed in transverse bearing-bars E. Said sockets are provided with an opening or slit, t', in the bottom for egress of dirt and grit which might otherwise collect in them and cause friction to be generated.

The upper ends of the grate-bars are provided upon their under surface with elongated ball-sockets 6, similar to those in bars E,and they rest .upon suitable friction balls or roll.- ers, F, located in another bearing bar, such as E, before described. Said grate-bars are constructed with a solid upper end, I), provided with steps or corrugations 1) upon its upper side and with a fire-surface upon its lower portion, which is preferably made up of short transverse zigzag webs 10. Of course, however, the fire-surface may be constructed in any other preferred form that will answer the purpose. It will be observed that the steps b are continued over the entire upper surface of the grate-bars.

The transverse zigzag webs 10 are located at sufficient distance from each other to at ford ample inclined openings into the burning fuel, insuring full supply of air, and not only promoting combustion, but also keeping the grate-bars comparatively cool and preventing them from being warped, melted, and burned out.

On the inner plate, 0, of the feed-hopper I locate a vertically-slidin g feed-plate, 13, which can be moved up and down by means of a suitable screw and hand-wheel, 14, or by any other preferred means, so as to close the feedopening 12 more or less. The bearing-sockets h in bar E at lower ends of gratebars are inclined, as shown, so that as said bars are reciprocated longitudinally an up-and-down movement will be imparted to their lowerends, thereby causing them to be oscillated upon the upper bearing-bar. Each alternate bar is moved in the same direction by means of the several cranks on shaft H. The gratebars oscillate upon supporting-bar F and do not follow the circular movement of cranks 16. Each grate-bar making up the grate has a rising-and-falling and endwise movement imparted to it by means of multiform crankshaft H, havinga number of short cranks, 16, formed on it which engage a suitable bearinglug, 17, depending from the under surface of grate-barsD near their upper ends. The lower ends of the bars move up and down; but their upper ends rest on upper. bearing-bar, and therefore do not follow the up-and-down movement of cranks 16. A continuous rotary motion is imparted to this crank-shaft by means of a worm-gear, 18, and belt 19, or other suitable gearing. (Shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 2.) The motion is such that one-half of the series of bars thus arranged) lift the body of the fuel from the bars between them, (which are moving in an opposite direction,) and cause said fuel to move evenly down toward the rear of furnace. The movement of the fuel is still further aided by the steps formed on the upper side of the grate-bars, said steps taking hold of the fuel (as it were) and pushing it toward the rear of the furnace. The motion is positive and uniform, but may be varied as occasion requires. The fuel, entering the furnace by way of the feedopening 12, is delivered at the top of the grate-bars, whence the motion of the gratebars combined with gravity causes it to move evenly along the inclined grate-bars toward the rear of the furnace.

All fuel on the grate-bars moves simultaneously and continuously. This movement is positive and uniform, although it may be accelerated or retarded as the demand for steam production varies.

The constant movementof the grate-bars prevents the formation thereon of clinkers. All the fuel is consumed on the inclined grate and the feed is to be regulated accordingly.

The clinkers and ashes and other incombustible matter pass from the grate bars (through passage 50, formed in the brick-work at the lower ends of said bars) to the ash-pit below, as shown in Fig. 1.

The feeding motion may be varied in various ways-for instance, by changing the speed of the driving-gearing or by imparting a different degree of inclination to the grate-bars, which latter I accomplish as follows:

The bearing-bars E at lower end of gratebars are provided with vertical shanks 60, which have friction-wheels 61 at their lower ends. These friction-wheels rest upon cams 62, mounted upon transverse shaft 63. By means of a suitable hand-lever, 64:, which extends upwardly and outwardly a suitable distance to be conveniently reached the shaft 63 may be slightly revolved in its bearings, causing the cam 62 to raise or lower the shanks 60 and bearing-bar E, carrying the lower ends of the grate-bars, thus giving more or less inclination to said grate-bars, and causing the fuel to travel downward upon them faster or slower and in greateror less quantity, as the demand for steam requires.

The power required to drive the entire apparatus will be but a trifling amount, because the bars are entirely supported on balls F.

The machine may be driven by a belt from any convenient shaft; or a small special engine may be used for this purpose, as may be preferred by the proprietor of the plant.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The improved grate-bar constructed solid for a considerable portion of its length and with the remaining portion of its length in the form of a fire-surface composed of short zigzag webs which are disposed transversely, the upper surface of said bar being stepped or corrugated, substantially as described.

2. The combination of inclined grate-bars provided with suitable bearing-sockets near each end, friction-balls located in these sockets, a transverse bearing-bar, E, provided with depending shanks 60 and upon which the lower ends of said grate-bars rest, cams 62, which engage the lower ends of said shanks to raise and lower same, and a hand-lever for rotating said cams, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAXIMILIAN H. MOSKOVITS.

Witnesses:

J. O. HIGDON, S. S. MOREHOUSE. 

